Easy Pan Sauce; How to "deglaze" and "reduce"

Yo guys,

Here's a quick video that highlights the techniques around "deglazing" and "reducing" by way of a simple recipe anyone can throw together with a couple ingredients - a simple Red Wine Pan Sauce. I'll write out my recipe here, but check out the video for more information and facts surrounding cooking with wine and each technique. Enjoy.

"A simple red wine pan sauce is a killer way to unlock the flavor potential of those residual crispy brown bits (“fond”) on the bottom of the pan after pan searing a protein. To harness the power of the fond we’re going to make a quick pan sauce using a technique called “deglazing.” Deglazing is a cooking term used to describe the act of using a liquid (stock, water, wine, etc.) to lift off any residual bits of food stuck to the bottom of a pan after or during the pan cooking process. Once one learns how to deglaze, the technique can be used in a myriad of different ways in the kitchen boosting your Sauce XP +500 (at least). Let’s do dis."

A little about me: I'm on a mission to learn all I can about cooking and food. I like to research and practice cooking techniques and share them with you all. If you're interested in learning to cook through the eyes of a fellow student, then I invite you to check out a few more of my videos !🤘🏼Adam

Ingredients:

• New York strip steak (1-1.5 pounds)
• 1 small Shallot, fine dice
• 2 Garlic Cloves, fine dice
• 2 tbsp Fresh Herbs, minced
• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp high-heat cooking oil
• 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
• 1/2 cup Demi-glace or Beef stock
• 1 Lemon wedge
• Kosher salt

Method:

1. Bring a 1-1.5 steak sit out at room temp for as long as possible (if it’s only a few minutes, that’s fine). Pat steak dry.
2. Heat a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium. Sprinkle lots of salt and pepper on both sides of steak—don’t be shy, the steak needs A LOT of salt. Press seasoning into the steak.
3. Pour 1 Tbsp. oil into skillet to coat the pan; I use grapeseed oil. Using tongs, gently lay steak in skillet and cook until underside is deeply browned and a crust has formed, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn steak and cook until reverse side is equally browned and steak is medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part will register 120°,) another 5 minutes. If steak has a fat cap or is more than 1 inch thick, upend with tongs and sear sides until browned. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer steak to a cutting board to rest.
5. Let skillet cool about 5 minutes. Using paper towels, blot around skillet to soak up any blackened oil, but leave browned stuck-on bits behind - this is called “fond.”
6. Add in minced shallot and garlic, season with salt and cook until browned and caramelized. Now it’s time to deglaze - pour in the dry red wine and reduce to half.~~~
7. After the wine has reduced add in your demi-glace and reduce to half again. Notice that the bubbles get larger as your sauce reduces down which means things are thickening up; the larger the bubbles, the more viscous the sauce.
8. Once reduced to the desired consistency, turn off the heat and swirl in the unsalted butter until fully melted. This practice is known as “mounting” a sauce. Now is the time to throw in any fresh herbs, too.
9. Once the butter has melted, squeeze in lemon juice to brighten things up. Taste and fix the seasoning with more salt, pepper and lemon juice (only if needed).
10. Cut steak against the grain into ½”-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon pan sauce over steak and serve.

Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC7oKnxPsJ8&t=89s

Full Recipe: https://www.omnivorousadam.com/recipes/2019/2/1/steak-easy-pan-sauce

bon appetit